Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Lancaster OUT at DOB

Facing pressure from City Hall and growing criticism for a spike in fatal construction accidents, Buildings Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster resigned on Tuesday, becoming the first commissioner to leave the Bloomberg administration under a cloud of public controversy.

We can only hope that this resignation engenders the same kind of sea change as the replacement of Iris Weinshall with Jeanette Sadik-Khan at DOT. The person at the top sets the tone for the whole organization. Of course, you need the Mayor's support . . . but Bloomberg has shown big changes before, and perhaps this signals positive change coming at DOB.

And here I am, and many others across the city I'm sure, preparing testimony for the Assembly Hearing on DOB's shortcomings and a passel of bills by Assemblymen Brennan, Lentol, and Hevesi to reform DOB. I think Lancaster was smart to get out of dodge before being ripped a new one publicly on Thursday morning.

We can and must do better. Let's start, Mayor Bloomberg, with having a panel that includes interests besides developers and the building trades vet the next DOB commissioner.